Mariah Burton Nelson: Keynotes: Success, Leadership

Author/Athlete/Professional Speaker

"Think of yourself as an athlete. I guarantee you it will change the way you walk, the way you work, and the decisions you make about leadership, teamwork, and success."- MBN

The Leadership Game
Washington Business Journal
October 2003

Leadership Demands High Physical Intelligence Quotient

By Mariah Burton Nelson

How would you complete this sentence? A leader's primary responsibility is to _____________.

a) take care of the people in the organization
b) make sure the organization is financially sound
c) create and communicate a guiding vision
d) provide ethical standards
e) other

These are all valid answers. But I like e) other. I believe a leader's primary responsibility is to stay healthy. A leader who is sick or tired due to poor physical fitness can't guide an organization toward fiscal fitness. A leader who functions at less than full capacity can’t offer the vision, team spirit, or ethical guidance an organization needs.

This is not another article about what you should be eating or not eating; how many glasses of water you should drink; why you need more exercise and sleep; or how millions of people are losing weight, so you can too. It's not about what doctors or chiropractors or aroma therapists could do for you, if you'd let them treat you.

It's about how you treat yourself. What I call physical intelligence is the ability to listen to the subtle signals your body gives you, then respond wisely.

Our own bodies are good at telling us what they need – from one moment to the next, and over the course of a lifetime. When we listen carefully, our bodies reward us by feeling good, by behaving well, by taking us places we want to go, pain-free.

How does your body tell you what it needs? Sometimes it screams: A broken bone! A seizure! More often, it speaks in whispers: stiff neck; sneezing.

Here's a sampling of the body's vocabulary:

Discomfort
* Pain
* Tightness
* Fever or chills
* Weight gain or loss
* Poor muscle tone
* Fatigue
* Rashes or changes in skin color or sensation
* Vomiting and other digestive upset
* A sense of well being or peace
* A sense of strength, flexibility, and endurance
* Physical pleasure or joy
* Sexual arousal or satisfaction

Note that when the body speaks to you, it's not always saying that something's wrong. Often it's thanking you for that workout, nap, or hug. Physical intelligence requires that we not only be on the lookout for times when the body is telling us that something is amiss, but also for times when the body is rewarding us for good behavior. If we take note of that pleasure, we'll be more likely to make time for activities that will lead to more pleasure – and health and fitness -- in the future.

In the course of a busy day, leaders tend to others' needs first, tuning out their own body's pleas for attention. In the middle of a meeting, an executive is unlikely to stand, stretch, and massage his or her own lower back. He's more likely to ignore the lower-back stiffness, then sleep poorly because of it, or perhaps take ibuprofen or stronger medications, hoping to mute the pain. He might ignore that stiffness for months, then "all of a sudden" suffer from debilitating back pain that forces him to lie flat for several days. At that point, the back will be impossible to ignore. The body will have "won" by forcing the executive to take time off. But by paying attention earlier – even by simply standing and stretching now and then – the executive could have prevented the problem in the first place.

A few years ago I was diagnosed with cough-variant asthma. It's like regular asthma, but instead of wheezing, you cough. After seeing various health professionals about the problem, I came upon a pulmonologist who explained that asthma can be triggered by allergies.

"What are you allergic to?" he asked.

"I don't know," I said. "I've never been tested."

"I bet you do know," he said. "Think about how your body responds in various environments."

After just a moment or two, I responded decisively, "I'm allergic to dogs, cats, dust, fallen leaves, and dairy products, especially yogurt."

Sure enough, my own subsequent tests – and medical tests too – proved me right. When I began avoiding those allergens as much as possible, I stopped coughing. (Giving up Rocky, my shepherd/lab/retriever, was not an option, but I removed many rugs from the house, started wearing a mask while raking leaves, and stopped eating a big bowl of yogurt for breakfast.) Now I almost never need to use the prescription inhalants my doctor originally prescribed. I just avoid the things that make me cough.

My body had been explaining that allergic/asthmatic reaction to me for years. I used to cough for several minutes after every breakfast. How obvious! But I hadn't been physically intelligent enough to pay attention. Now I do.

Here are three guidelines for developing physical intelligence:

1) Awareness: What is your body saying? It's trickier than it sounds. When your knee hurts, is it okay to keep running or not? When you're hungry, are you hungry for food or affection? Note the physical sensations, then employ emotional and intellectual intelligence before deciding what, if any, action to take.
2) Commitment: What if you promised your body you would "have and hold," it, and "love and cherish," it, "in sickness and in health, from this day forward"? Considering the stakes (extreme illness, disability, even death,) isn't it remarkable that so few of us make the same commitment to ourselves that we make to others?
3) Humility. Your body can't tell you everything. Tests (PAP smears, mammograms, prostate exams, colonoscopies) can detect cancer and other ailments that you can't detect on your own. So don’t depend on physical intelligence alone. Periodically seek help from professionals.

Your relationship with your body is the most important relationship you have. If it's not a good relationship – if you refuse to listen when your body speaks – the resulting poor health, poor body image, poor concentration, lethargy, and discomfort will interfere with every other relationship, and any leadership role you may play. A leader's primary responsibility is to stay healthy. Fortunately, your body is telling you almost everything you need to know.
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Mariah Burton Nelson, M.P.H., is a former Stanford and pro basketball player and author who gives inspiring, practical keynotes about leadership, excellence, and physical intelligence. www.MariahBurtonNelson.com.

To contact Mariah about her writing or presentations, call 703/276-8323 or write to her at Mariah@MariahBurtonNelson.com

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